In 2010 Global Ocean commissioned a shortened 30-minute version of the hard-hitting film 'The End of the Line' which covers the destructive nature of current overfishing, and includes the plight of the Bluefin tuna.
The shortened film was shown in Malta, a country where overexploitation of the tuna fishery is at its most severe. It was also screened globally in parliaments including the first ever-joint party theatrical screening in the Australian parliament to the UN and to the UK government.
In 2011 this outreach was furthered with several screenings in schools and universities in the United Arab Emirates. Here tuna was covered as a target species in need of conservation effort as a matter of priority.
You can download an overview of the UAE screenings HERE.
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Background
Tuna are salt-water fish from the family Scombridae. There are over 48 separate species of tuna, which tend to be highly migratory travelling many miles across the world's oceans. They are fast swimmers and some species are able to attain speeds of around 45mph. The increased myoglobin levels in their tissue that allow them to do this also mean that their flesh is much darker and meatier than that of most other fish.
Just five of the tuna species form the main focus of commercial fishing. Of these, by far the most valuable is the highly endangered Bluefin tuna. Bluefin individuals can grow up to 10 feet long and have been known to reach weights of 1500lbs. They can be of exceptional value to restaurants, particularly in the Far East where in 2010 a single fish sold for £111,000 at market in Japan.
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Current Threat to Tuna Populations
Overall, more than 80% of the world's fish stocks (for which data is available) have been reported as fully exploited or overexploited. It has become widely accepted that populations of the Atlantic, Pacific and Southern Bluefin tuna have all suffered dramatic declines due to increased fishing pressures and catch sizes.
As early as 1991 The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) reported that Western Atlantic populations had plummeted 90% from an estimated size of 250,000 individuals in 1975 to just 22,000 in 1991.
In 2001 University of British Columbia researchers again sounded the alarm. They reported that some fish populations had fallen by as much as 85 percent due to more sophisticated technology allowing fishers to reach previously untapped populations. This was supported by a study by Nova Scotia's
Dalhousie University, which reported drops of 90 percent among critical stocks. In 2009, scientists from the ICCAT said that spawning stocks of Bluefin have fallen below 15 per cent of what they were historically on both sides of the Atlantic.
It remains difficult, however, to monitor stocks. ICCAT recently reported that many fisheries have been under-reporting their catches, making forecasts inaccurate and unreliable. Also with a single Bluefin worth as much as US$150,000 on the Tokyo market, U.N. Officials have said that organized crime is also now involved in the trade, further clouding the numbers being removed every year.
The removal of so many fish over the last four decades has other biological implications. As a predator high up in the food chain, knock-on effects from their removal mean impacts will be felt across whole ecosystems. See Heihaus et. al., 2008 and Ward & Myers, 2005.
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What has been Done
In recent years the plight of tuna has become a key campaign for many conservation groups and the issue has also started to catch the public's eye. This has led to some advancement in the way that fishing is viewed. Many supermarkets and manufacturers of tuna products now (often as a result of public pressure) only use tuna that has been caught by line and pole – a far less ecologically damaging method of fishing than long lining or nets.
'The End of the Line' is a powerful and informative documentary made in 2009, which highlights the destructive nature of current overfishing on the world's marine life and what may happen in the future if current levels of fishing are maintained.
It premièred at the Sundance film festival in 2009 and has been shown on the UK television station, Channel 4. It was estimated that over a million people have watched the film, and that around 4.7million people in the UK were aware of it in spring 2010.
'End of the Line' has been shown to have a lasting impact on consumers and those who watch the film. A report by the Channel 4 BRITDOC foundation showed that "Across the whole audience, the commitment to buying sustainable fish was almost doubled from 43% to 84%". The effect was most noticeable amongst those unaware of the issue of overfishing. In this group the commitment to buy sustainable fish rose from 17 per cent to 82 per cent.
Evidence collected by the BRITDOC foundation showed that following the film's June 2009 UK release; some supermarkets noticed increases in the purchase of more sustainable fish species from their stores. Many large companies, including Marks and Spencers and Pret a Manger have since reviewed and changed their policies on the tuna they use in their products.
The film has also been attributed to providing the inspiration behind other movements to protect fish stocks including that of the 'Big Fish Fight' created by celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
For further information on 'The End of the Line', click here to visit the film's website.
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How Can I Help?
It is vital that we cut down hugely our exploitation of tuna stocks around the world. Although the commercial value of their meat makes this difficult, there are several possibilities on how to achieve this.
An excellent start would be to have the most at risk species of tuna placed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) endangered species list to prevent trade of fish between countries. This would severely reduce the market for tuna and allow for some protection to stocks. Unfortunately, a motion to implement this was defeated last year but continued pressure will hopefully bring this into effect.
Avoidance of certain species, such as the Bluefin tuna, by consumers would also help alleviate the pressure on those varieties at risk. Selfridges Project Ocean in collaboration with the Marine Conservation Society have created an easy to use Fish Guide and Fish Guide App highlighting which fish species are currently at sustainable levels and those that should be avoided. Tools like these should broaden the consumer's range of fish that they purchase to alternative, more sustainable species.
